Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood Review

In episode three, Lair of the Leviathan, our hero survived being swallowed by a giant manatee only to be captured by the pirate hunter Morgan LeFlay. Chapter four starts off with Morgan delivering Guybrush to Flotsam Island, the setting of the very first chapter, where he must stand trial for the mischief he caused while marooned there.

Trial and Execution’s familiar setting means that you’ll be interacting with a wide variety of characters. A few new faces emerge (including one that will be familiar to long time Monkey Island fans), but other than that you’ll see a mix of minor characters from the first episode alongside the friends and foes that have been established over the previous few chapters. Overall the cast is much larger than it has been at any other time in the series, which means that some characters are relegated to minor roles. That’s a little disappointing to see, but for the most part the larger cast is handled well. Most importantly, the story retains the clever wit seen in the previous few episodes.

The core gameplay remains the same as ever, as you’ll point and click your way through a series of puzzles and interact with items, characters and the environment to progress through the game. A couple of illogical or obscure puzzles show up on occasion, but for the most part the game can completed with logical reasoning.

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Trial and Execution can basically be split into two halves, with each half offering up a slightly different style of gameplay. The first part features Guybrush defending himself in court, gathering evidence and questioning witnesses in order to clear his good name. After that you’ll need to wander around Flotsam Island to complete an elaborate voodoo recipe. It’s the same fundamental style of play for both parts, but the former has more dialogue while the latter features the return of navigating a jungle maze. That’s more straightforward this time but it feels a bit recycled, especially when compared to the hilarious court case that precedes it. While this repetition hardly ruins the game it does make episode 4 feel less unique than previous installments, an unfortunate feeling that is highlighted by the return to episode 1’s setting.